Wednesday 4 September 1667

By coach to White Hall to the Council-chamber; and there met with Sir W. Coventry going in, who took me aside, and told me that he was just come from delivering up his seal and papers to Mr. Wren; and told me he must now take his leave of me as a naval man,1 but that he shall always bear respect to his friends there, and particularly to myself, with great kindness; which I returned to him with thanks, and so, with much kindness parted: and he into, the Council. I met with Sir Samuel Morland, who chewed me two orders upon the Exchequer, one of 600l., and another of 400l., for money assigned to him, which he would have me lend him money upon, and he would allow 12 per cent. I would not meddle with them, though they are very good; and would, had I not so much money out already on public credit. But I see by this his condition all trade will be bad. I staid and heard Alderman Barker’s case of his being abused by the Council of Ireland, touching his lands there: all I observed there is the silliness of the King, playing with his dog all the while, and not minding the business,2 and what he said was mighty weak; but my Lord Keeper I observe to be a mighty able man. The business broke off without any end to it, and so I home, and thence with my wife and W. Hewer to Bartholomew fayre, and there Polichinelli, where we saw Mrs. Clerke and all her crew; and so to a private house, and sent for a side of pig, and eat it at an acquaintance of W. Hewer’s, where there was some learned physic and chymical books, and among others, a natural “Herball” very fine. Here we staid not, but to the Duke of York’s play house, and there saw “Mustapha,” which, the more I see, the more I like; and is a most admirable poem, and bravely acted; only both Betterton and Harris could not contain from laughing in the midst of a most serious part from the ridiculous mistake of one of the men upon the stage; which I did not like. Thence home, where Batelier and his sister Mary come to us and sat and talked, and so, they gone, we to supper and to bed.

One is reminded of Sir Winston Churchill referring to himself in his correspondence with Franklin Roosevelt in the early days of WW II., as “Former Naval Person.” D.W. ↩

Lord Rochester wrote

His very dog at council board Sits grave and wise as any lord.

Poems, 1697; p. 150. — The king’s dogs were constantly stolen from him, and he advertised for their return. Some of these amusing advertisements are printed in “Notes and Queries” (seventh series, vol. vii., p. 26). ↩

I defer to LH but to my limited mind, it read that that poor Samuel got an earful , where is the money , no sob stories the King gave the cash to his bed mates,

Bacon Quote...."some few to bee chewed and disgested. "chew OED 1. a. trans. To crush, bruise, and grind to pulp, by the continued action of the molar teeth, with help of the tongue, cheeks, and saliva. 3. fig. and transf. in many applications: a. by simile.1393 ..1597 BACON Ess. Studies (Arb.) 8 Some bookes are to bee tasted, others to bee swallowed, and some few to bee chewed and disgested.

1696 EVELYN in Pepys Corr. 3 Dec., I have of late been chewing over some old stories.

1682 DRYDEN Duke of Guise I. iii, If while alive, I cease to chew their ruin.

1718 PRIOR To Mr. Harley 285 He chews Revenge.

e. in reference to words: To take or retain in the mouth; to keep saying or mumbling over.1603 SHAKES. Meas. for M. II. iv. 5 Heauen in my mouth, As if I did but onely chew his name.

insisted upon the truth.

{dag}f. to chew to (a person): (cf. 2b); to reduce (anything) to a condition ready for another's use, to prepare (words, etc.) for another to utter. Obs.1594 CAREW tr. Huarte's Exam. Wits xi. (1616) 156 Lawyers..if the cases which the law thrusteth into their mouth bee not squared and chewed to their hands, they are to seeke what to doe.

1641 MILTON Animadv. ii. Wks. (1847) 60/1 A minister that can not be trusted to pray in his own words without being chewed to..should as little be trusted to preach.... 6. intr. To perform the action described in 1, 2; to exercise the jaws and teeth (on, upon anything); to bite, champ.